Refrigerating apparatus



flDec. 25, 1928.

O. M. SUMMERS REFRIGERATING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Oct. 51,1927 n mlm llllll Mo Ma .WM-

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,Patented Dec. 2 51, 1928.

UNITED STATES i 1,696,459 PATENT OFFICE..

OT'I'O M. SUMMERS, OF DAYTON, OAHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MES'NE ASSIGNMENTS, TO.FRIGIDAIBE CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

REFRIGERATING APIPARATUS.

application mea' October` si, 1927. serial No. 229,901.

This inventionv relates to refrigerating apparatus particularly to theform of refrigerating element and its arrangement in household refrierator cabinets.

One of the o jects of the invention is to provide an improved andSimplified form of evaporator which is effective to oool circulatingairl in a cabinet and to freeze ice for table use, andwhich may beplaced within a lconfined space.`

Another object of the invention is to improve and simplify thearrangement and construction of evaporators to reduce their cost ofmanufacture. v

Further objects and advantages of the present invention IWill beapparent from the following description, reference being had to. theaccompanying drawing, wherein a preferred form of the present inventionis clearly shown.

v In the drawings-A o Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a refrigeratorcabinet having the improved refrigerating element therein; f

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the cabinet showing therefrigerating element in elevation;

fFig.. 3 is a section of a refrigerating element on the line 3 3 of Fig.4;

Fig. 4 is a bottom lan view of the refrigerating element; an

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of a refrigerating element.

Evaporators for the dual purpose of chillcirculating air to cool arefrigeratng in r cabinet. and for freezing ice for table use have'heretofore been constructed in accordanw with the application of JesseG. King, Serial No. 666,257 ,filed (Iflctober 3, 1923, and usuallyinclude a header which forms a reservoir for liquid refrigerant, and anumber of loops of tubing depending from the header for circulatingrefrigerant. These loops are arranged to enclose a freezing space, inwhich are placed shallow pans for freezing ice for table use, and alsoextend `outwardly beyond the freezing space to chill circulating air forcooling the cabinet. The freezing space has been comparatively shelteredfrom circulating air, one set of tubes being provided principally forice freezing, and anothenset for the principal purpose of cooliiig thecirculating air. These evaporators have usually been placed in a cornerof the cabinet and leave an L-shaped storage compartment for food asshown in the application of Harry B. Hull,

Serial No.. 642,869, filed May 30,, 1923- While this arrangement is veryeffective, the refrigerating element 'occupies a 'rather large amount ofspace. In the case of small cabinets, vfor instance for apartment houseuse, the provision'of considerable space for food storage is veryimportant. This reduces to -with my invention` I providegan evaporator iWhich is very coinpactand fiat, and Which may be disposed entirelyacross the top of a cabinet thus leavingy aV substantially cubical spacefor the storage of food.` I also construct the evaporator so that theice freezing and air 'cooling elements are combined and space is thusconserved. f

Referring to the drawings, particularly Figs. 3 and 5, my evaporatorincludes an elongated and preferably cylindrical horizonta-l header 10lwhich forms a reservoir for li uid refrigerant, and conduit means forcircu ating refrigerant which exteiids laterally beside the header. Theconduit means includes a single tube 11 which is connected at both ends12 and 13 to the header below the level of the liquid. The tubing isformed, onv each side of the header, into a pair of fiat,substantiallyhorizontal coils 14, 141' and 15, 15'. Preferably the tubeis connected to the header approximately at its center by a conduit 16.The tube 11 may be in a single integral piece. with the conduit 16connected between it and the header, or as shown in the drawing, theconduit 1l,mayibe formed of two separate pieces which are intefrrallyunited by being soldered in openings formed in the side of conduit 16.The end of the conduit 16 may be conveniently closed'by a plug 18. Theloops or coils 14 and 14' are vertically spaced to permit the insertionbetween them of a compartment 20' for an ice-making container 21. i Thecompartment is supported on the loop 14" and is thermally connected toboth loops 14 and 14' by soldering. similarly the ice cient space mustbe left around the evap'orator for this frost to form without touchingthe walls of the cabinet, for if it were permitted to touch the walls,this would increase the -heat leakage into the cabinet and also causethe walls to sweat. Accordingly a space indicated in Fig. 2 is leftbetween the header and the top of the cabinet.

Surrounding the evaporator within the cabinet isa U-shaped partitionwhich separates the cabinet into a cooling compartment 31 and a storagecompartment 32. This partition extends substantially across the entirewidth of the cabinet leaving only air circulating fiues 33 on eitherside. The partition is provided at or near its upper ends with openings34 which admit warm ar from the cabinet to the cooling compartmentandhas an opening 35 admitting cold air from the cooling compartment tothe storage compartment. Preferably the bottom wall of the partton isprovided with a drip pan 36` and a bafiie 37 for the opening, the drippan being separated lfrom the partition by an insulating air space 38 asmore fully described in the application of George Hoferberth, filedFebruary 28, 1927, Seri'il No. 171,437. The front of the n coolingcompartment is preferably closed by a wall 3 9 Which has openings toadmit the ice-v making containers 21.

The air circulates as shown by the arrows in Fig. 2, upwardly throughthe fiues 33 and I downwardly over the enclosures for the icemakingcontainers, th'ence under the coils 14:' and 15' and out through theopening 35. In this manner the coils'serve two purposes, namely, coolingthe conpartments for the icemaking receptacles and cooling thecirculating air which flows under and in contact with them. It will benoted, however, that the compa'tments themselves form large surfacesprojecting into the path of the circulating air. Consequently thesecompartments also serve "to cool the circulating air.

It will be observed that the evaporator above described effectivelycools circulating `air and that it is provided with considerable icecapacit Nevertheless the entire evaporator may e contained within asmall height and consequently may be installed in a thin space. This isa decided advantage .in the case of small cabinets as it increases thespace available for the' storage of food and permits the construction ofa food compartment of a convenient and economcal shape. j

nagsawa -While the form of embodiment of the invention as hereindisclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood thatother forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claimswhich follow.

' What is claimed is as follows:

1. A. refrigera-ting element for 'refriger-` ating apparatus includingahorizontal header forming a reservoir for liquid refrigerant, conduitmeans for circulating refrigerant connected to the header and includinga pair of spaced substantially horizontal coils extending laterally fromthe header, and a compartment for an ice-making .container disposedbetween the coils and thermally connected to both of the coils. i

2. A refrigerating element for refrigerating apparatus including aheader forming a reservoir for liquid refrigerant, conduit meansextending laterally from the header and including a pair .of spacedsubstantially horizontal coils on each side of the header, andcompartments for ice-making containers, one compartment being disposedbetween the coils of each-pair and thermally connected to both coils ofthe pair.

3:'A 'refri-gerating element for refrigerating apparatus including aheader for liquid refrigerant, a continuous tube connected at its i endsto theA header and. formed into two pairs of spaced si bstantiallyhorizontal coils, one

pair beingdispo'sed'on each side of the header, and a 'connection fromthe tube to the headthe cabinet into a storage compartment and a coolingcom artment which occupies substantially the entire width of thecabinet, and providing passages for the circulation of air between thecompartments; and a shallow fiat refrigerating element extendingsubstantially the entire width of the cooling compartmentI and includingal header, conduit means for circulating refrigerant connected to theheader and formed into a pair of spaced substantially horizontal coilson either sde of' the header, and a conpartment for an icemakingreceptacle supported between and thermally connected to each of thecoils of each pair, saidcoils andcompartments projecting into the pathjof air circulating through the cooling compartment.

` 6. refrigerating element for refri erating 'apparatus including aheader for 'quid refrigerant and a continuous tube connected at. itsends to the header and formed into two pairs of spaced substantiallyhorizontal coils, one pair being disposed on each side of the 5 header.i

7. A refrigerating element for refrigerating apparatus conprising incombination a header, a conduit loop for circulating refrigerantextending laterally from the header' and forming anfenclosure for anice-making container, 'said loopincluding a pair of vertically spacedsubstantially horizontal ducts, and a compartment for an ice-makin coitainer d i'sposed Within the enclosure an thermally connected to both ofthe ducts.

In testimony Whereof I hereto afix my signature.

' OTTO M. SUMMERS.

